After 25 years running various Troya restaurants in San Francisco and a family move to Tiburon, Berk and Betul Kinalilar opened their latest Turkish-Mediterranean restaurant in Tiburon’s Cove Shopping Center in May. Beautifully crafted wooden tables and chairs line the broad windows; high-top stools welcome diners at a wide, blue-tiled counter; golden-threaded linen napkins atop white plates await placement in your lap.
The menu matches the sunny vibe. Small plates of roasted cauliflower with tahini labneh, cheese borek, and red lentil soup can easily be paired with every day brunch specials like shakshuka and za’atar topped avocado toast or entrée-sized plates of vegetarian moussaka or a lamb burger with tzatziki and harissa.
Every wine on the house’s list is available by the glass, including selections from Turkey, Greece, France and California. On the NA side of the menu, Turkish coffee and tea join freshly squeezed orange juice and rose-flecked lemonade. And for those days when takeout is a must, the In Pita section of the menu offers organic falafel and rotisserie chicken in fresh, puffy bread.
Named after the 19th century Ukrainian author and philosopher Ivan Franko, Iryna Nevozhai’s Sausalito café balances Ukrainian and European coffee house influences. Pistachio and chocolate pastry cream croissants lean west while sour cherry casts an eye to the east. Toasts made with Portside Bakery sourdough, waffles with Nutella or condensed milk, and a yogurt parfait round out the menu.
“We experiment on Fridays,” says Kyiv native Nevozhai who brought Lviv native Svitlana Monastyrska onboard to craft Ukrainian delicacies such as a layered onion tart and sweet-tart apple pie. There’s talk of vareniki with sour cherry and house-baked bread but until that day comes, there’s a Ukrainian drink – espresso with steamed orange juice – ready for summer.
The coffee menu – espresso, flat white, mocha and the like – is made with San Francisco’s Hedge Coffee, chosen by Nevozhai for its medium roast style. Barista Gabriel Pizon pulls “traditional Italian-Californian” ristretto shots to make the drinks, “tapping into the bitter to bring out the sweetness,” Pizon says. The balance of bitter and sweet speaks to what Nevozhai refers to as the “Ukrainian soul of the place,” a space for community and, coming soon, poetry readings and hosted teas such as Franko might recognize from his era.
The fragrance of Valrhona chocolate and French butter that infuse house made chocolate chip cookies are an aromatic calling card for a wee nook of a café which opened on Fourth Street in downtown San Rafael in mid-May. Cinnamon morning buns and almond croissants are just a few of the decadent treats that practically beg to be paired with a latte. “We roast our coffee beans over oak wood, which brings out the beans’ natural flavors without increasing acidity,” says owner Ruchir Dave.
Blue agave and cacao-boosted smoothies join the coffee drinks atop the menu. Further down are avocado and brie-honey-truffle toasts and bagel sandwiches featuring Berkeley’s Boichick Bagels. In the remaining space, Dave offers a few small tables and chairs, a perfect spot to enjoy made-to-order gelato. Twelve flavors are planned but for now, look for mango, vanilla, pistachio, black sesame, and ube.
Tucked on a quiet street behind Corte Madera’s Menke Park, a butcher shop opened in March. Wine and beef importer Alberto Lataliste named his retail store for the Argentinian wind of his homeland, which blows down the Andean ridge to the sea. “I love the seclusion of the place,” says Lataliste, who lives in Novato.
Wide cases are filled with Argentinian and American-raised beef, pork, lamb, house made sausages, and other meaty fare. Notably, says Lataliste, “Argentinian beef is grown without hormones or anabolic steroids and is grass-fed before finished on 120 days of grain.”
Enjoy an empanada from Petaluma’s The Secret Lab (veggie, chicken, or beef) or a sandwich at one of the cute, red café tables on the quiet patio. Available from 11am to 3pm are a choice of three sandwiches on a Dutch or sourdough roll – roasted turkey, el Padrino (a classic, East Coast-style Italian sub), and roast beef with all the fixings. Avocado can be added to any sandwich – because, California – and all are $13. Cold cases with Italian salumi, marrow bones, and vacuum-sealed seafood line up with shelves stacked with Italian and Argentinian cookies, pastas, and an array of international accompaniments and sauces. The team awaits a beer and wine license to sell boutique beer and global wines for takeaway only.
Executive Chef Angelica Duarte took over the stoves of one of Marin's most iconic restaurants in September, bringing with her the warm spirit of her time at Insalata’s and a fresh look at the American menu. “The miso-glazed salmon and filet mignon with peppercorn-brandy demi-glace are already best sellers,” says General Manager Charlie Roberts.
The latest Paseo iteration honors its chophouse history with the filet and other meaty fare such as a Duroc pork chop with grainy mustard sauce and lamb chops with quinoa and feta but is more pescatarian-forward. Poke Tuna Bites, Pan-Seared Scallops with confited fennel, and Halibut Ceviche with jicama and cucumber hint of the menu’s shifting intentions. Look for more menu additions as the season’s change.
At the bar, situated across the alley from the kitchen, bartender Shelly Erber runs the show. With $10 Margaritas and Old Fashioneds, $6.50 plates of Paseo chicken wings and $8 plates of halibut ceviche, “Shelly’s Happy Hour” draws cheers from fans of dining early. A larger bar menu of Wagyu sliders, chicken salsa verde arepas, and air-fried artichokes is available no matter where in the restaurant you choose to sit.
Now that the weather is finally warming up, expect more chatter about Paseo’s patios. Small tables and chairs dot the numerous nooks and crannies of the serpentine space, perfect for a moment’s pause or an intimate canoodle, but the larger patio, warmed by fire pits and surrounded by couches, is a lovely place to enjoy the laid-back ambiance and a glass of wine, as well as live jazz in the courtyard on Thursdays.
